Charles Knowles Design : Architects

Country Kennels

These kennels are designed to allow sun light into all parts of the building at every hour of the day. Dogs can be viewed from a one way route naturally lit by clerestory windows. The corridor is compartmentalised into zones of varying heights and widths with views into both internal courtyards and to the surrounding landscape to give a sense of place and orientation, to break up the length of the building and to reduce noise. A separate central spine route with ancillary grooming rooms, laundry and food prep rooms, enables staff to take dogs from one end of the building to the other without disturbing the other dogs.

The kennel roof is low at the eaves to reduce noise externally and rising towards the centre to conceal the services ducting, which provides a positive air pressure into the visitor’s corridor and out through the individual kennel to reduce smells. Each kennel has a floor set to falls to a flushing sluice, a sleeping alcove with imbedded water heating, and hygienic finishes.

To reflect the rural nature of the site, the buildings are clad in a combination of English oak boarding, frameless glazing, cast stone and mineralite render with an element of brickwork and lime mortar to avoid visible expansion joints, and topped with a curved roof of lead grey sarnafil.

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